# leopard

Pronunciation: US say "LEP-urd" /ˈlɛpɚd/; UK say "LEP-uhd" /ˈlɛpəd/

## Noun

1. A large wild cat, Panthera pardus, with a spotted coat, native to Africa and Asia, especially the male, in contrast to the female leopardess.
   - Simple: A large wild cat with a spotted coat, found in parts of Africa and Asia.
   - _The leopard stalked silently through the tall grass before pouncing on the impala._
   - _Conservationists tracked several leopards across the reserve using hidden camera traps._
2. The snow leopard, Panthera uncia, a large wild cat with pale, dark-spotted fur native to the high mountains of Central and South Asia.
   - Simple: A large, pale gray wild cat with dark spots that lives in the high mountains of Asia.
   - _Researchers rarely glimpse the leopard in its remote, high-altitude Himalayan habitat._
   - _Few predators are as well camouflaged across rocky alpine slopes as the leopard._
3. Either of two Asian wild cats, Neofelis nebulosa and Neofelis diardi, better known as clouded leopards.
   - Simple: A medium-sized wild cat with cloud-shaped markings, living in the forests of Asia.
   - _A leopard slipped through the dense canopy, its cloud-blotched coat dissolving into shadow._
   - _The leopard's unusually long canines are striking for a cat of its modest size._
4. Any of various large wild cats that resemble Panthera pardus and take their name from it, although they belong to different species.
   - Simple: Any of several large wild cats that look like the spotted one and borrow its name.
   - _European naturalists once lumped several distinct Asian cats together as leopards._
   - _A traveler in the tropics might label any large, spotted predator a leopard on sight._
5. Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the genus Phalanta, marked with black on an orange ground.
   - Simple: A small orange butterfly with black markings on its wings.
   - _The leopard basked on a sunlit leaf, wings spread to show its black-flecked orange._
   - _In the wet season, leopards gather along the damp riverbank to sip moisture._
6. In heraldry, a lion depicted passant guardant: that is, walking with one forepaw raised and its head turned to face the viewer.
   - Simple: On a coat of arms, a lion shown walking with its face turned toward you.
   - _The blazon called for a single leopard on a field of azure._
   - _England's medieval kings bore three leopards on their arms._

## Origin

The word passed through Middle English and Old French leopard from Late Latin leopardus, itself from late Ancient Greek leópardos, a compound of léōn ('lion') and párdos ('pard, male leopard'). The 'pard' element traces back to párdalis, probably from an unattested Old Persian term related to Middle Persian palang and Pashto pṛāng.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/leopard (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).